Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Published in Delaware Liberal on 1/28/2014 by ProgressivePopulistLast week the President's election reform Commission published its
report with their ideas on reforming our election systems. The ideas
seemed to be to improved voter participation, particularly in national
elections. Because it was intended to provide a bi-partisan answer to
our obvious electoral deficiencies, the solutions proposed, while mostly
helpful, were incremental and did not offer answers to our
long-standing crisis in our so-called participatory republican
democracy.
The crisis has as its root cause the total absence of
voting as a right in our U.S. Constitution. This omission historically
stems from the compromise necessary to facilitate our nation's founding
to address the needs of the factions demanding that rights of the states
be upheld, including those states dependent on slavery to fuel their
agrarian economies.
It was heartening to note that the Commission
cited Delaware's voter registration system as a best practice in that
area. As a new resident, I was blown away with the efficiency and
convenience of this system when I registered my car, had it inspected
and secured my driver's license and voter registration in a
one-stop-shopping experience.
Delaware also stood out as among the
higher voter turnout states with 62.7% in the 2012 election, compared
to the national average of 58.2 %. Delaware also was one of the few
states with higher participation than in the 2008 national election.
The
Commission report had as its greatest emphasis the need to limit the
time necessary to cast a vote to 1/2 an hour. It cites best practices
of those states enabling a comparatively speedy voting experience in
the 2012 election to assist those states actually desiring to improve
the time required to cast a vote.
The Commission also advocated
states providing online voter registration and the transfer of personal
data from driver's license records between states. Further, it argued
for the positive impact of so called "early voting" and the updating of
now obsolete electronic voting equipment, the purchase of which was
funded ten years ago or more with federal tax money.
School voting
locations were suggested as optimum as well as easily accessed "voting
centers" in early voting systems. The wide distribution of sample
ballots well in advance of the beginning of voting periods and shortened
ballots for Presidential elections to speed up the voting process as
well as electronic poll books to simplify verification of voter
eligibility. These are all useful improvements but very incremental
solutions to our very low participation rates compared to other
democracies around the globe.
Unaddressed in the report are the macro-issues which drive our low participation endangering our democracy:
.
The absence of national constitutional validation of the concept of
voting rights for all qualified citizens, at least for federal
elections.
. The plutocracy which empowers corporate and elite
domination of our governing bodies, including our judicial, executive
and representative bodies of local, state and national levels.
.
The funding of campaigns by corporations and elite which overwhelm
individual citizen participation and drive the apathy apparent in the
electorate.
. Gerrymandering of legislative districts, both state
and national resulting in our elected officials picking their voters
rather than the reverse.
. The electoral college system in federal elections which dis-empower the popular vote.
. Winner take all runoff systems, prolonging the election process vs. instant runoffs.
.
Opt in voter registration systems in contrast to opt-out registration
which would enable universal registration of qualified citizen voters.
. Limited mail ballot options which greatly increase participation rates.
Until
these issues are addressed, participation rates will continue to be a
national embarrassment and non-participation advocated by the likes of
Russell Brand will appear to be warranted. Will it take a revolution to
achieve a real participatory democracy in America? At the current rate
of improvement along with the relentless challenge to voting rights for
minorities and the poor by Republicans whose long-standing advocacy for
voting rights only for the elite in this society , it would appear
revolution may be the only option. The only good news in this area is
the courageous turnout in recent federal elections by oppressed voters,
overcoming systemic voter discouragement and such anomalies as Seattle
and Vermont. These signs of life in the electorate argue for me that
participation is a better option.

Saturday, January 18, 2014

The President's speech on Friday, pre-empting the final report he
commissioned on NSA restraints, is a good first step. So, we applaud
a beginning in rolling back the Surveillance State aimed at the
American people.
The civil liberties community appears vigilant on
keeping the heat on the Administration to maintain a sharp eye on
overreach by NSA and other intelligence agencies. This can only be good
for the U.S. and our constitutional republic. Hopefully the public
discussion on our security and constitutional protections against a
tyrannical government and the over-emphasis on protecting the "homeland"
and our so called exceptionalism will be expanded and a continual
process.
Of particular note is the March 28 deadline for reauthorization of the Patriot Act by congress.
In
my opinion, there is way too much emphasis on protecting us against
"terrorism" compared to protecting our constitutional rights which has
created our exceptionalism, if any really exists compared to other
democracies around the world.
There is now much media parsing of
language in the President's speech, seeking clarification on many
vaguely worded statements on possible surveillance reforms and this too
is good. I prefer to leave this task to the lawyer class reviewing the
initiatives and proposals. Here's a quick review of major elements in
his Friday statement.
l. He proposes an annual review of privacy
implications of surveillance undertaken by federal agencies, including
NSA, with a report each year delivered to congress.
2. Congress
will be requested to authorize a panel of outside civil liberties
advocates to argue in "significant" cases before the FISA court. This
is new and very hopeful.
3. The Attorney General is to institute
added restrictions on the government's ability to retain, search and use
communications between citizens and foreigners: section 702 of the FISA
regulations regarding surveillance of suspected terrorist actions.
4.
The FBI will be required to make changes in its national security
letters regarding data searches on persons it is scrutinizing.
5.
On phone records collection by NSA, the government will transition away
from scrutinizing communications three steps away from subjects under
scrutiny for potential threats against the U.S. to two steps away and
only after a judicial finding on a "true emergency".
6. Intel agencies, including NSA, will stop "spying" on U.S. allied world leaders.
What
seems unaddressed at this point is the absence of whistle blower
protections for employees of national security or intel agencies and
their contractors. Snowden would fall into this category.
Clearly,
pressure needs to be mounted on the Delaware congressional delegation
on advocating for our civil liberties protections while considering
the "protections" addressed in the Patriot Act reauthorization by March
28.

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Published in DelawareLiberal on January 8, 2014 by ProgressivePopulist

I'm throwing this out there after much thought, but also just before
leaving town for a week. So I won't be able to respond right away.
The economic incrementalism we Democrats are doing with supposed
economic solutions to a broken capitalistic system isn't working. Jim
Hightower and many other fellow populists told you they wouldn't work
and he was right. It is time for radical solutions on behalf of the
people.
47 million of us are unemployed, underemployed and in
poverty as a result. Some small share of them will not be able to
participate in a repaired economy because of infirmity, under education
and other social maladies we might not be able overcome. But we can
make things right for the huge majority of those in this situation.
Band
aids are not working; major rehabilitation of the economic system is
the only solution requiring sacrifice by the privileged class. And it
is high time that both our local parties and the DNC step up to the task
of offering remedies that will get most of America working in life
sustaining employment and back in the middle class that was once the
envy of the world. Democrats must now address this genuine crisis. Our
viability as a society depends on it. Now, not later. Fully, not
partially. Here's what many economic experts propose as the solutions.
No, austerity, well and long tested here and in europe prove without
any doubt that is not the solution. You can fight over the details.
Details do matter.
l. Create the Nixon proposed guaranteed annual
income for all American's. Pay for it by taxing corporations and the
very wealthy who will then see the return of the funds in increased
sales and purchases. Create a baseline income for a family, below which
the guarantee kicks in by some means, like a tax credit or outright
cash.
2. Restore public jobs, especially teachers, paid for by
both state taxes (you figure out what kind) and for federal jobs,
federal taxes. Those salaries will come right back into the economy.
3.
Launch a Marshall Plan to fix those broken public schools in inner
cities and rural America with state of the art teaching techniques and
highly trained teachers prepared to deal with poverty stricken children
as well as great classrooms, equipment and spaces.
4. Re-tool our
job training programs to address needed skills in our workforce. Yes,
fund them heartily, paid for by the very companies who need these
skilled employees.
5. Incentivize and yes punish in some cases
multi-national companies shipping jobs overseas to get those several
million jobs back here. Include incentives to "buy American".
6.
Launch a massive green public works renewal program to address failing
roads, bridges, the grid, high speed communications and all dilapidated
infrastructure. Hire private contractors to do much of this. Finance
through public banks. Make one of the roles of the public bank is to
loan money to new industry start ups, especially green industries. All
this money will flow back into the economy. Fund in part by a massive
reduction in the military budget, including converting military
contractors building weapons of destruction into contractors of planet
restoring green products.
7. Toughen worker safety and health
standards and require robust retirement and health care benefits to
contractors. Restrict temporary employment among contractors and for
other users of temps, require minimum standards of benefits to be set
aside for employees of temp agencies.
8. Revolutionize laws
empowering re-unionization of the workforce and severely penalizing
companies restricting organizing activity. Require unionized workforces
for any federal contractors.
9. Lower recipient age for social
security to 55 and restructure cap on s.s. tax upward.This will move
retirements earlier and make way for new workforce participants.
10. Increase the minimum wage to $15/hour, affecting 28 million people.
All
this should be a 20-25 year program with the promise to those seeing
their taxes increase, including corporations, that after the rebuilding
era, congress would be required to revisit and reduce taxes if the
renewal is working.

Thursday, January 2, 2014

As first published in DelawareLiberal by ProgressivePopulist on January 2, 2014O

We're 90 days past Sebelius's near catastrophic launch. In spite of
amazing roadblocks, Republican resistance and sabotage, Republican
governor's further undermining a key element to serve the health needs
of our poorest citizens, and what our President had the honesty to
characterize as "self inflicted wounds", We've got a success here.
So,
far, very early into the process, with a public very slow to awaken to
new healthcare opportunities, no thanks to Health and Human Services
lame marketing, 6 million of our fellow citizens now have health
insurance, most for the first time in their lives. 2 million through
the exchanges, 4 million through Medicaid. Think about it. This is
huge in a 90 day period.
This leaves an estimated 5 million
Medicaid eligible still uncovered and not likely to have this benefit
anytime soon , due to dumb and immoral strategy in Red
Republican-governed states. Still a long way to go to achieve
universal care. A Democratic sweep of state houses can solve that
problem.
Michael Moore just published a stinging critique of
ObamaCare. As a fellow single payer advocate, I agree with him but I
think Jared Bernstein's observation hits the nail on the head. Moore
has the policy right, but right now, not the politics.
I am
heartened by single payer developments around the country, such as in
Vermont. As Michael Moore believes, the single payer movement can push
upward from progressive states. It can't happen fast enough to satisfy
me. Moore is right. To cast our health care lot with one of the most
predatory industries in America is a tragedy waiting to happen.
One
of my health care guru's, Maggie Mahar, reports the polls actually read
that 50% of those polled like health care reform; 35% like the ACA as
it is and 15% think it should be more liberal. 50% oppose ACA at this
early stage.
According to Mahar and WP's Ezra Klein, just 0..6 %
of American's under 65 are losing their insurance purchased on the
individual market and will have to pay more than their inadequate
catastrophic coverage because of the new benefits enriched exchange
policies. A survey they report on shows that 45% of these people agreed
their old policies were inadequate. Irresponsible media reports say
there are millions and tens of millions in this category. The actual
number of those eligible to secure alternative catastrophic policies is
estimated at around 500,000 people. And over 70% of them will qualify
for government subsidies, bringing their premiums way down. These
subsidies average $5,548 annually.
According to Mahar, a health
policy expert, ..."29% of those who are losing their policies make too
much to be eligible for subsidies, " and were premium-raped by these
catastrophic policies. 15-30% of them suffered the stigma of
preexisting conditions. These insurers spend 30% of their premiums on
marketing, advertising, executive salaries and bonuses and other
overhead costs and were infamous for cancelling policies like a
revolving door, jacking up premiums and denying payments to providers.
Prior to ObamaCare, these jackals turned over 35 % of their their
policy holders each year. You did not hear any of this from the media,
did you? They were too damned lazy to do their homework to give you the
truth.
Mahar estimates that the catastrophic policy holders have
three choices:l. Go without insurance while they can. 2. Pay an average
of $135 a month for coverage of 57% of their bills. 3. Buy from the
exchange; a person in their 20's who makes too much to qualify for a
subsidy can by an average bronze plan for about $185 per month. You do
the math. Which would you do in their shoes. Of course, most will
spend the extra $50 a month (remember, they make $45,000/year +) to get a
real policy. This is why the industry is reporting the private
catastrophic policies are not selling. The market the Republican's like
to worship is working in this case. Clearly, the consumer demand for
ObamaCare is there and moving with great momentum. Soon we will have to
move onto other issues including needed provider staffing levels and
the out of control though improving cost escalation among health care
providers. This blog will soon address these issues.
ObamaCare, a qualified success, is here to stay America. Get used to it.

About Me

Moved to Wilmington, Delaware in mid-2013. Resided in Houston, Texas for 45 years. A widower, married Julie Jackson in 2007. Retired as a hospital marketing consultant in 2001.Have been a Democratic Party political activist for most of my adult life, organizing and mobilizing for the Party and its candidates. Consider myself a progressive populist. Early career included running communications for 35 campaigns. Have formed and led committees dealing with voter mobilization and precinct organizing, counter voter suppression and strategy.Co-founded the Progressive Populist Caucus of the Texas Democratic Party. Have served on the Texas Democratic Party Platform Committee numerous times. Also an active organizer for the anti-war movement since Vietnam and was active in the civil rights movement.